Torpedo-guard.



F. G. ROLF.

TOHPEDO GUARD.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 3. 191?.

Patented May 21,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

F. G. ROLF.

TORPEDO GUARD.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 3, 1917.

l ,267,%7 Patented May 21,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

, l5 I i UNITED sTArEs PATENT came a.

FREDERIGKFYG. ROLF, or EL'rAso, TEXAS.

TORPEDO-GUARD.

Application filed November 3, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK G. ROLF, a citizen of the United States,residing at El Paso, in the county of El Paso and State of Texas, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Torpedo-Guards, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to a torpedo guard, and one object is to providea plurality of units having pivotal connection with the side of a vesseland adapted to be raised to a position above the water line, so that thesaid units may be readily applied without the necessity of placing thevessel in a dry dock.

A further obj ect is to provide a plurality of units mounted asspecified and each comprising a plurality of steel plates, which may bespaced apart forming an air chamber within each unit.

A further object is to provide certain novel means for mounting theplates comprising the individual guard members and permitting the latterto be raised out of operative position when desired.

IVith the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists inthe novel construction, combination and arrangement of elementshereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a View in side elevation.

Fig. 2 is a similar view with the unit in inoperative position.

I Fig. 3 is a top plan View.

Fig. 4 is a detail view in top plan of certain of the securing devices.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section of one of the units proper.

Each unit comprises a plurality of steel plates such as 10 and 12, theseplates being spaced apart by means of a suitable frame or the like shownat 13 and providing an air chamber 1 1 between the plates, whereby theshock due to the impact of a torpedo is somewhat lessened. It is theintention however to provide units which may readily be replaced whenindividual units are destroyed by the impact of a torpedo. The units aresuitably spaced from the sides of the vessel by the supporting devicesreferred to below and the ship will not be damaged by the destruction ofone of the members mentioned.

The supporting devices for the individual Specification of LettersPatent. Patented May 21, 1918,

Serial No. 200,107.

units comprise a plurality of upper arms designated 16, these arms beingslotted as shown at 17 and being pivotally mounted in brackets 18carried by the side of the vessel.

The lower curved arms20 are mounted in brackets 21 also carried at theside of the vessel. Diagonally extending arms or braces 22 each carry apin 23 at the upper end and are oppositely located on the sides of arm16 forming a forked brace, the lower ends of braces 22 being providedwith eyes 23 through which a bar or pin 24 passes, this pin also passingthrough ears 25 mounted on brackets 21. Pin 23 at the upper end of brace22 operates within a slot 17 in bar 16 and permits of the necessarymovement when the pivotally mounted frames are elevated for the purposeof placing the guard units out of operative position. Each lower arm 20is connected with an adjacent guard unit at a point 29.

The units are elevated for the purpose of placing them out of operativeposition by means of wire cables Or the like designated 30 controlled byany suitable winding means shown conventionally at 31 and carried on thedeck of the vessel.

The movement of the pin 23 within slot 17 of the bar 16 is limited, thispin engaging the outer end wall of the slot when the bar is inhorizontal position, and thereby holding the guard units in correctoperative position.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device of the class described, a guard unit and mean formounting the latter at the side of the vessel, said means comprising aplurality of outwardly extending arms provided with longitudinal slots,means for securing said arms to the side of a vessel, a plurality ofspaced parallel braces pivotally mounted on the vessel at a point beloweach of the aforesaid arms one end of each brace being movablelongitudinally of the arm and guided by the slot therein, the bracesfolding into position to partly inclose the arms, an additional armconnected with the guard unit, and single means for pivotally mountingthe braces and arm last named.

2. In a device of the class described, a guard unit, and means formounting the unit at the side of a vessel, said means including aplurality of outwardly extending arms having pivotal connection with thehull named, an arm, connected withv said bracket of the vessel, abracket carried bythe hull of neans of' s aid pin and connected 1. atits the Vessel, a plurality of devices formed on outer end With theguard unit, and means 10 the bracket and constituting bearing memforraising said unit out of operative posibers, a pin passing through saidbearing tion.* 4 3 members, a brace pivotally connected with Intestimony whereof I affix my signature. said pin and With one of thearms "first FREDERICK G. ROLF.

-Gop ies of this patent may be obtained forfi ve cents'eaeh,by'addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D GLF ,1

